The present disclosure relates to measuring a user's body signals, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for using triage and subsequent escalation based on biosignals or biometrics.
Wearable sensor devices that provide biosignals typically have inherent trade-offs. For example, a wearable device that provides more background monitoring typically requires less user involvement. In another example, a wearable device that provides less sensitive signal quality typically has longer battery life. A wearable device that provides less sensitive signal quality may also have better user comfort/acceptance. Typically, longer battery life can be provided for a wearable device by providing less information content. Therefore, a wearable sensor device typically provides background monitoring with maximum user comfort/acceptance, long battery life, and less sensitive sensor signals.
Some wearable sensors can continuously acquire information from a user without the user's participation, thus allowing unobtrusive, near continuous monitoring for abnormal conditions or providing a trend for health, fitness, wellness, and/or disease states. Although such wearable sensors (e.g., a photoplethysmogram (PPG), a galvanic skin response (GSR) sensor, a bioimpedence sensor, a skin temperature sensor, and an oximeter) provide useful information, these sensors are typically sensitive to noise contamination due to motion or variable skin contact. These sensors may also not be as clinically researched/accepted and are therefore less relevant for diagnostic evaluation.
Other sensors and/or diagnostic procedures, though more clinically accepted and relevant, may be less convenient to use for the user. Therefore, data from such sensors are not able to be collected by near continuous monitoring (e.g., electrocardiogram (ECG), impedance cardiograph (ICG), core body temperature, and nystagmus test).